Embracing New Fire Safety Standards for BESS

Sineng Electric and HD Hyundai Plaspo have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), building a strategic partnership aiming at advancing technologies of Power Conversion Systems (PCS) and hybrid inverters. By combining their resources, knowledge, and experience, Sineng Electric and HD Hyundai Plaspo intend to seize opportunities within the burgeoning energy storage market. The signing ceremony underscored the importance of this alliance and was attended by key executives and stakeholders from both organizations, emphasizing their commitment to this forward-looking endeavor.

HD Hyundai Plaspo, a leading company in power conversion equipment, has continuously pushed the boundaries of innovation to improve its products and create value for customers. Sineng Electric, recognized for its substantial investments in the R&D of energy storage products, recently rolled out the 5MW central PCS MV turnkey solution, which can be configured using four units of 1.25MW central PCS(EH-1250-HB-UD). To meet the diverse demands of the market, Sineng Electric offers both string and central PCS solutions, to provide tailored energy storage solutions for a wide range of applications.

The MOU details a strategy centered on the development, research, and promotion of PCS and hybrid inverters, aspiring to boost sales and create mutual benefits for both parties in Korea and other global markets. Furthermore, through working in synergy, the two companies expect to not only maximize their competitive advantages but also contribute to the evolution of energy storage technologies, meeting the increasing demand for efficient and reliable energy solutions.

"Both companies will engage in co-development of energy storage solutions applicable to residential, commercial, and utility-scale scenarios, to unlock new opportunities in the renewable energy sector," stated Zhengmao Jiang, Vice President of Sineng Electric. "By leveraging HD Hyundai Plaspo's influence and Sineng Electric's expertise, we aim to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient energy system."

"Through this partnership, we look forward to pioneering cutting-edge solutions, ensuring we remain at the forefront of this evolving sector," added Lee Heon Jun, CEO of HD Hyundai Plaspo. "This collaboration is a significant step towards reshaping the energy storage industry. By pooling our strengths with Sineng Electric, we are poised to foster continuous innovation and ensure the delivery of superior energy storage solutions."

Sineng Electric | https://en.si-neng.com/

HD Hyundai Plaspo | http://www.hd-hyundaiplaspo.com/en/index

Lhyfe (Euronext: LHYFE), one of the world’s pioneers in the production of green and renewable hydrogen, and Fives, a world leader in industrial combustion, have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to provide a complete decarbonised offer for industry, from hydrogen production to combustion. 

This offer speeds up energy transition by facilitating the use of hydrogen in process industries, without needing to modify all the equipment. Lhyfe will produce and supply green hydrogen and Fives will provide optimised and safe solutions for its use in industrial combustion processes. 

In recent years, the combustion of hydrogen, which emits no CO2, has emerged as one of the most promising solutions for reducing the carbon footprint of industrial processes. 

For example, a secondary aluminium furnace that today produces 120 tonnes per day using natural gas would tomorrow reduce its annual CO2 emissions by more than 4,000 tonnes with the use of hydrogen*. 

As recognised experts in their respective fields, Lhyfe and Fives will focus primarily on the metals, glass and cement industries and some selected industrial heating processes and applications in Europe and North America. 

Lhyfe | https://www.lhyfe.com/

Fives | https://www.fivesgroup.com/

Successful half-year results: NeXtWind, the leading provider of optimized, distributed climate infrastructure for renewable energy in Germany, achieved key milestones ahead of schedule in the first half of 2024. Within twelve months, NeXtWind quadrupled the optimized repowering generation capacity in its portfolio to 1,000 megawatts (1GW). This leap was made possible by the acquisition of additional wind farms, the optimization of existing wind farm sites and the technical advancement of the latest generation of turbines. At the same time, the team has doubled to more than 50 employees, and the Berlin office has been significantly expanded. Further acquisitions are on the agenda for the coming months. In addition, processes are becoming more standardized, making the business model even more scalable.

NeXtWind focuses on acquiring existing wind energy sites with outdated turbines, replacing the turbines with more efficient ones, and expanding the sites through constructive and trustful cooperation with the local communities to install additional turbines on the site. Energy output can be further increased through the use of highly efficient modern technologies. The company currently operates 158 wind turbines in 24 wind farms. After optimization, these wind farms will produce four times as much energy, enough to supply more than 600,000 homes with green electricity every year. 

The current regional focus is on the north and east of Germany, but the aim is for future expansion beyond national borders. The company works closely with local communities and partners to ensure a sustainable and reliable energy supply, through which it is making a significant contribution to the energy transition. 

"We originally wanted to reach the magic threshold of 1,000 megawatts of optimization potential by 2026. The fact that we have now achieved this two years ahead of our goal is very encouraging," says Prof. Dr. Werner Suess, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of NeXtWind: "Innovations in the field of climate technology will play an increasingly important role. NeXtWind is not only a leader in the field of repowering, but also an overall leader in the optimization of the distributed, climate-friendly energy infrastructure in Germany. We will continue to pursue our strategic direction, consolidate our market position and grow rapidly.” 

In mid-2023, NeXtWind raised $750 million from institutional investors in one of the largest financing rounds for a renewable energy platform in Germany to date, which is   the foundation for its rapid growth.

"NeXtWind is building the next-generation energy infrastructure to drive the transition to a decarbonized, decentralized and digitized energy system in the face of unprecedented demand for clean, sustainable energy from energy-hungry applications such as AI, blockchain and the electrification of the mobility and heating sectors," said Lars Meyer, also Co-CEO and Co-Founder of NeXtWind. 

Ewald Woste, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of NeXtWind, highlights the next milestone: "We are just getting started - our goal is to shape the energy transition in the coming decades. We aim to triple our generation potential to 3,000 megawatts by 2028.”

NeXtWind |www.nextwind.com

EnergySage, the leading clean energy marketplace, announces its expansion to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., becoming the first platform of its kind with a nationwide footprint. With this milestone, EnergySage is poised to help homeowners adopt clean energy solutions at an even greater scale and become a leading partner for corporations, electric vehicle manufacturers, and non-profits looking to bring whole-home electrification to their audiences across the country.

For over a decade, EnergySage has been at the forefront of promoting clean energy and energy-saving solutions, providing a platform for consumers to comparison-shop and save on rooftop solar. It has since evolved to provide energy storage, heat pumps, EV chargers, and community solar. Now that EnergySage has reached national coverage, it is prepared to connect even more homeowners with these sustainable and cost-saving options.

"Our goal has always been to make clean energy more accessible and affordable for everyone, and this expansion allows us to reach an even larger audience," says Charlie Hadlow, EnergySage President & COO. "We are incredibly grateful to our dedicated network of installers – most of which have been with us for many years – who have helped us expand our reach to the whole country."

EnergySage makes it easy to transition to clean energy. Consumers can easily request multiple high-quality quotes from vetted and accredited solar, HVAC, and electrical installers. The process is free, simple, and frictionless through its in-depth resources and unbiased support. 

EnergySage also serves as a valuable resource for clean energy companies and providers across the country. By partnering with EnergySage, these businesses can grow their customer base, reduce costs, and simplify their sales processes.

"We are proud to be the trusted partner for so many reputable installers," says Erik Holvik, EnergySage Associate Director of Business Development. "We are dedicated to providing the best service and support to our customers, and this milestone is a testament to our commitment to scaling clean energy solutions."

With EnergySage's expansion to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., clean energy solutions are now more accessible than ever. Visit EnergySage today to start your clean home energy journey. For installers interested in working together, please visit this page.

About EnergySage, Inc.

EnergySage | https://www.energysage.com/

Vestas has received a 347 MW order to power the Pohénégamook - Picard - Saint-Antonin - Wolastokuk (PPAW) wind project in Quebec, Canada. The order consists of 56 Enventus V162-6.2 MW turbines.

The order includes supply, delivery, and commissioning of the turbines, as well as a multi-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement, designed to ensure optimised performance of the asset. 

Vestas’ EnVentus turbines offer a wide range of standard hub heights and modes of operation that can be combined with an extensive list of technology options to create customised solutions to suit the needs of each unique project.

“This is a significant deal for Canada, and we’re thrilled to partner with Invenergy as they continue to expand their North American wind energy portfolio,” said Laura Beane, President of Vestas North America. “This collaboration, alongside Quebec’s ambitious net zero goals, is confirmation of our shared vision for a clean energy future, and we are pleased to provide our leading EnVentus platform to help meet those ambitions.”

“Along with our partner, Alliance de l'Énergie de l'Est, Invenergy is thrilled to work with Vestas to begin laying the groundwork for the future PPAW Wind Energy Center,” said Louis Robert, Vice President, Renewable Development at Invenergy. “We look forward to building on our existing relationship with Vestas, to support Quebec’s energy transition.”

Turbine delivery and commissioning is expected in 2025. 

Vestas | www.vestas.com 

GameChange Solar, with a long track record of providing solar tracker and racking solutions in high-wind regions worldwide, is excited to announce that its rectangular head bolt design has achieved recognized component status per UL 2703 from the nationally recognized testing lab Intertek.

This patent-pending innovative bolting solution is designed to streamline the installation process and reinforce the connection between trackers and solar modules. The new rectangular head bolt addresses the common issue of pry-out failures caused by extreme winds, offering a robust and efficient alternative.

In areas prone to strong winds, a high number of bolting connections are typically required between tracker purlins and solar modules. Traditional installations can necessitate up to 12 bolts per module to ensure stability, leading to prolonged installation times and increased labor costs.

The rectangular head bolt’s larger bearing area on the module frame ensures better load distribution and reduces the risk of pry-out failures, providing a more secure attachment. This allows for each bolt to transfer more force from the module to the rack. The result is either increased mechanical capacity of the PV module and rack assembly or a decreased number of bolts per module required to hold the module to the rack.  For the latter case, by decreasing the number of bolts needed without sacrificing load capacity, they cut down on installation time and material costs.

GameChange has performed extensive third-party testing per the IEC 61215 international standard for module load testing with full-scale samples of rectangular head bolts and solar modules.  These tests have shown increases in module capacity beyond 20% when compared to standard bolts.

In addition, the bolt’s elongated head is designed to catch on the inside of the module frame during installation, allowing for torquing of the nut to be done with one hand.  The current standard of holding the bolt head with a wrench in one hand while torquing the nut from below with another is no longer required with this design.  This feature will further reduce panelization times.

“It’s always great when an innovation addresses multiple customer needs,” said Scott Van Pelt, Chief Engineer at GameChange Solar. “In this case, the rectangular head bolts not only increase the mechanical capacity of each bolted connection between the PV module and the rack but also improve installation rates for modules due to the bolt’s self-holding features.”

For more information about the new rectangular head bolts and how they can benefit your next project, please contact [email protected].

GameChange Solar | https://gamechangesolar.com/

The R&D Lab Co, an engineering consulting company that designs products and processes to scale solar and sustainable building, announced that it was selected to receive a $1,000,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) to pursue their innovative idea to support photovoltaic (PV) industry growth. This project will refine, manufacture, and commercialize a new roofing-integrated solar mounting system to reduce costs and for scaling adoption.

With this Federal funding, The R&D Lab will bring manufacturing to the US, further refine their product, answer fundamental questions about the solar roofing business model and system wire management, in service to integration of roofing and solar so every homeowner is offered solar when seeking a roof.

“We have 5 million re-roofs in the US every year and last year only 700,000 people got solar. We think that if everyone is offered solar at the time of re-roof, we can grow the solar market because it makes financial sense. Why get a roof when you can get a roof that pays for itself? ” says Amy Atchley, co-founder of the r&d lab and owner of Amy’s Roofing and Solar, a solar installer based in Petaluma, CA.

“We are trying to help roofers become solar roofers by giving them an integrated product and supporting them to develop their processes. Our mission is to scale solar massively in the US. This grant will boost our efforts,” Atchley says.

Max Vera, C.O.O. of Wine Country Roofing, based in Santa Rosa, is a roofing contractor that also offers solar roofing solutions. Vera says “integrating solar into our work has a transformative impact. By offering solar roofs, we not only contribute to sustainable energy production but also pave the way for our community to reduce our carbon footprint and energy costs. Our partnership with StarlingRFS enables us to further these goals, accelerating the adoption of clean energy and setting new benchmarks for the solar roofing sector."

The r&d lab was selected as a part of the SETO Silicon Solar Manufacturing and Dual-use Photovoltaics Incubator Funding Program. Projects in this funding program will enable continued solar cost reductions while developing next-generation solar technologies and boosting American solar manufacturing.

If 30% of re-roof customers in the US choose a solar roof instead of a roof, the country would double annual solar installs. At Amy’s Roofing and Solar, Atchley says about 60% of homeowners choose a solar roofing option over a roof alone: an optimistic number for the future of clean energy.

r&d lab co | www.therdlab.com